General News.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 96, 16 January 1900, Page 2

General News.

Jt seems unlikely that a third contingent will b* sent to South Africa.

Mr J. M'Gowan, M'.H.B, who was offered the vacant portfolio, telegraphs that he is coming to Wellington to confer with the Ministers on the subject. He is expected about the middle of this week. The hearing of the charge of wife murder against Thomas Galloway was concluded at the Dunedin Police Court on Saturday, when accused was committed for trial. The question of bail was-not definitely settled, counsel for the defence getting leave to look up authorities on the granting of bail under such circumstances. It is now Raid that the estimated liabilities of Daley, the Auckland bankrupt will reach £50,000. Detective Maddern has the matter in hand on bchtlf of the police department. At a meeting of the Oarnavu Agric ultural and Pastoral Association, it was decided to request the Government to suspend co operative works through out the colony during harvest time, owing to the expected scarcity of harvesters. In Biuce County two women mother ano daughter, are old age pensioners. The daughter is aged 67 and the mother has reached the patnaichalage ot 91 years — Free Press O-ne of the troopers with the New Zenlnnd contingent, writing to a friend in WeUington, from Maitland. South Afiica, says :— To illustrate how matters are mixed here I need only mention about a family who reside near our camp. The family comprise people of the name of M'Gregor, the male members of whom (five in all) are fighting against the Boers, and the other branch of this peculiar family are Boers (cousins of the M'Gregors), the male members of whom are fighting against the British but the women at the- faim at Maitland are on the best of terms., Captain Smith, Christchurch, has left for Wellington, to take command of the Hotchkiss Battery. On Furhiy next, a social will be held in Mr Meehan's grain store, Makikihi, the proceeds of v.'hich will go to the Patiiotie Fund. Complaints are, says the Timaru Herald, being made, by many of the passengers who travel by the express trains, of the danger attaching to the portable guard rail, which connects the cai ridges with the dining carss. This rail is a fiiture at one end, but the other is a loooe hook which drops over the rail of the carnage. This hook being loo&e is where the danger comes in, for a passenger putting his wt-ighl on it bidewa^s, finds it running away, and it takes him all his time to save himself from falling between the carriages. Already there have been several narrow escapes from serious accidents, and the Department should at ouce see that the loose end is made fast in some way or other. Another complaint in that the connecting platform it. far too nairow, and this defect also should be seen to at once. Dr Ward, who is in charge of the Boer prisoners recently kepbin Maritzburg gaol, gave an order one day which filled them with disgust. He ordered them to have a bath. The inmates of Chatham Workhouse, quite- unasked, subsciibed £1 6s 6d for the Mansion House Fund. More than passing interest attaches to some of the men of the contingent now in camp (says a Wellington paper). Tom Hempton is a brother of the well kown amateur runner, and has himself attaine.l a conspicuous name in Taranaki athletics, having represented the province in the football field during some eight years of its palmy days. Young, from Westport, is a cousin of England's conspicuous statesman, the Right Hon. J. Cham berlain, and he left the service of the Bank of New South Wales to become a soldier of the Queen. Fitzsimmons is a relative of " Fighting Fitz," the Timaru pugilist who won world wide fistic fame in America. A " non com " of the Gordon Highlanders who was perforated through the right ahoulder by a Mauser bullet at Elandflaagte, says it went through his flesh and bor.e as though they were paper, the only sensation produced being a sense of aching numbness in his arm. Knowing he was hit he threw his rifl6 away, but after a few minutes, the numbness having departed he picked it up again and -vent on firing until he collapsed from loss of blood. — Another wounded man spoke of the bullet's passage as being like a stab with a email sharp knife, and in a letter to a friend in London a trooper who was sniped through the thigh, says he hadn't any idea he had been hit until he began to feel faint and saw blood on his breeches. " I fancy," be says; " I got home one or two shots before cavijag in." A Melbourne auctioneer had a sale of bicycle.B. The catalogue was illustrated with machines of various patterns, some with riders mounted; A young man, attracted by thepiotar©^

bonght a machine for his sweetheart. Next day he cams back to the auctioneer with his sweetheart demanding his money back. "But what's wrong with the bike 9 " demanded the salesman. The young man drew a catalogue from a pocket, and pointed to a picture. "Look here," he said* ' this ia the machine I thought I was buying. It haßjmudguarda, a' Inmp, a bell, and a brake on it. The machine I got haß cone of these things." " You "will also observe," said Mr Hammer " that there is a girl on the bike in the picture. Now if you bought accoi ding to picture, I suppose you want tho girl too. All right ; I'll telephone for her at once." " Come away, John, said the sweetheart; "I'll keep the machine." A MEBiNa of the Juvenile Forresters Lodge was held last evening, C.R. Bro Wheeler presiding over the 21 members piesent. Bro. A. Berry (adult I lodge) was elected president. Sick pay for 5s was passed for paymen Receipts, £6 6s. In pursuance of its policy on the question of the purchase of the Manawatu Railway, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce has addressed aletter to the Minister of Railways, urging the Government to buy the line, and pointing out that if this is not done by June next an additional £40,000 will be added to the cost. Oddfellowship. — The usual for t nightly meeting of the above was held last evening, N.G. Bro. Jackson in the chair. Conespondence ' was received from several lodges and dealt with. One matter was held over till a summoned meeting. Sick pay, £2 0s 4d, and a small account were passed for payment. A resolution of sympathy with Bro. Taylor in his recent bereavement was moved by the N.G. and directed to be forwarded. The first, second and third sentiments were proposed, and responded to by Bro, Moss (Oamaru). The action of the secretary in placing the sum of £'30 at fixtd deposit was approved of. Receipts £2 9s 9d. At tha Waimate Estate sals on Fai day, a horse given by Mr H. Quinn Hook, was sold on behalf of the Patriotic Fund and brought Jg6 10^ . Buyers of prints are invited to inspect the value of 3000 yaids of American prints, sale price 3£d and 4Jd a yard, just opened at Arthur Jones and Cos. Advt. Those who want boots which wil last through the whole of the New Year should go to Berry's. There, priors are fixed to suit the times. Repairs a specialty at Berry's, the shop at the corner of High and Shearman Streets. — Advt. Now that the preserving and jam making season is in full swing call at the Advertiser office and get 50 gummed covers and 50 assorted labels printed and gummed, for one &bilhr.g Nothing looks nicer than neatly put up preserves, and it cannot be done cheaper. Accident. — Yesterday, the eon of MrJW. Hawke was climbing behind his father's dray, when in some manner his foot caught in the wheel. The dray was immediately stopped, and the boy takeu to Dr Barclay, who found the foot severely bruised, but that no bones were broken. Piles of remnants of cotton goods at your own prices this day at Arthur Jones and Co's end of season sale. Advt. Ladies bear in mind that I have opened 28 packages of drapery to day, and offered at job prices during eale. R- E. Boyd.— Advt. Steps are already being taken to fill the See of Ballarat vacated bj Bishop Thornton. It is stated that if Bishop Julius, of Christchurch, or Bishop Stretch, of Brisbane, would accept the See, either would receivg an overwhelming welcome. By the last mail comes the full report of a speech by the Hon. H. H. Asquith, formerly Home Secretary in the Gladstone Adtninistrat on, and a passage from it is significant. "If I were asked." said Mr Asquith, •• why we were fighting, my answer would be, first of all, to repel the invasion of British territory; next, to Rsserfc our right, which was put directly in issue, to intervene on behalf of our fellowsubjects, to secure them liberty *nd just treatment in a State to which wa granted self government, not in the interest of one man, but of the whole pop^ation, and finally, to secure equality of rights, nothing more, nothing less, to the Dutch and the English throughout South" Africa." That is the position in a nutshell.